


Say Anything

by Stylinsonvodka



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Dom Danny, Dom Liam, Dom/sub, M/M, Sub Zayn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-12-01
Updated: 2014-06-27
Packaged: 2018-01-03 03:05:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1065009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stylinsonvodka/pseuds/Stylinsonvodka
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The sky is not actually blue, the American education system is apparently incredibly flawed, and Subs are treated worse in society than any other minority across the globe. In order of how often Liam hears about them, these are facts. </p>
<p>Or, the one where Zayn is a Sub with a terrible Dom, and Liam really can't stand it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> so im finally publishing another thing!! another tumblr prompt fill, which i actually started a while ago, but didn't get around to finishing until like twenty minutes ago cuz im a bit of a lazy piece of shit. but, its here, and better late than never!!
> 
> this one is gonna be a chaptered fic, in case you were wondering, so if you read it and think 'wow fucking ending where's the porn' its not actually finished. the porn will come later. and i promise there will be porn. also, if you think, 'wow, this is just filler and explanation' thats exactly what this is, so dont be surprised. things will get exciting later maybe
> 
> anyway. sorry this took so long!! i promise ill post the next chapter much sooner than i posted this one!! feel free to yell at me about it, too, (or just follow me if you want)(you should follow me) on my tumblr, malikvodka(.tumblr.com)(follow me)

The sky is not actually blue, the American education system is apparently incredibly flawed, and Subs are treated worse in society than any other minority across the globe. In order of how often Liam hears about them, these are facts. 

He learns about the sky from one of his mates, Niall, who's permanently bubbling with excitement and random tidbits of information. He talks a lot about the sky, and is flooding facts about it Liam doesn't particularly care for, like the fact that it's not actually blue. The Internet, no matter which social media site you're on, is constantly up in arms about America and their fucked education system. More than twice daily, he reads Tweets about it, though being in London he can admit that he really doesn't care. Subs, individuals that genetically crave the order Doms are made to provide, are abused, ignored, and stripped of their rights, in nearly every country of the world. This, Liam knows, because Robot Chicken did a sketch on it one time. 

The thing with Subs is that honestly, nobody cares, and the rare few that do have no voice. The Subs care, of course, but ignored and looked over, nobody will stop to listen to their protests. And there are Doms everywhere that hate the treatment of Subs, but, outnumbered by those that don't care, all they can do is bite their tongues and treat their own Subs like royalty. Liam's friend Harry is one of those Doms, loud and silenced. He does what he can, but realistically, he can't do much, so instead he focuses all his attention on keeping his Sub loved and happy and comfortable. He treats him, Louis, like he's an equal, and while it actually disgusts quite a few of their peers, they're probably the happiest couple Liam's ever come across. 

Niall, too, is a Sub. Being so loud and likable, when they meet him, most people can't even tell. They just assume he's a Dom, and like him up until it becomes apparent that he's not. Liam thinks it's ridiculous, that so many people can just stop liking Niall just because he's not a Dom, but Niall doesn't seem to really care so Liam generally keeps his mouth shut. The only Sub-culture issue Niall actually seems to have a problem with, is how many different places he can't get into without a Dom. He can't buy certain things, or enter certain restaurants, and there's nothing in the world Niall hates more than being told no. Some supermarkets won't even sell him toilet paper, and more often than not Liam gets dragged to the store so Niall can actually buy groceries. It's sad, really, and absolutely ridiculous, but there's no way around the law until Niall has a Dom of his own. 

It's about six o'clock when Liam finally bids goodbye to the blonde, who's been planted on his couch since before Liam had even woken up this morning. More often than is probably normal, Niall will get bored, and come sit in on Liam's flat for what can sometimes be days at a time. And for the most part, Liam will let him. Today, though, in about half an hour, Liam is expecting company, and Niall has to leave his flat three days earlier than usual. He pouts, and whines, and drags his feet, and Liam's not sure if it's because he's too lazy to want to walk home or because he really wants to meet Danny. 

Danny was one of the roommates Liam had had, when he was first starting out at UNI and broke beyond comprehension. They had actually gotten along quite well, but, both being Doms, they had clashed more than they had clicked and eventually Liam had to move out. The time they had spent together, though, was memorable and frat-esque, and Niall had heard enough stories that he had wanted to meet him. And were it not for the fact that he knows Niall needs sleep, Liam would have let him. 

Minutes before he expects Danny to show up, he shuts the door behind Niall, promising that the next time Danny comes to visit Niall could come around to meet him. With a laugh, he pads back to the couch, and he barely has time to resume Niall's spot before there's a knock at the door. He laughs again, and rises slowly, crossing back over to the front door and pulling it open with a smile. 

Danny greets him with an immediate shout, and a punch to the shoulder, and Liam's so occupied returning the sentiment he can barely get a word in. He punches Danny, who laughs, holding a hand to his chest in a motion of mock hurt. 

"Jesus, Leemo," he huffs, "be careful. You got strong."

"And you got short," Liam agrees. Danny punches him again. 

"You just got huge. What the fuck have you been doing, mate?"

"Steroids," Liam deadpans, brow arched, and Danny laughs as he punches him again. 

"Piss off," he grins. "Are you gonna let us in, or what?"

"Us?" Liam asks, as he steps aside. Danny's answering grin is blinding. 

"Yeah, us," he nods, stepping inside with the glint in his eyes Liam knows too well to be comfortable with. He almost starts to sigh, when, without explanation, Danny nods towards the carpet, and Liam hesitantly lowers his gaze to the small bloke that appears to be kneeling in his wake. His hair is overgrown, and his head is bowed, and Liam's jaw nearly hits the carpet next to him. He's a tiny, quiet thing, curled in on himself as though he's trying to keep from being noticed. He's visibly underweight, and he seems to be shaking where he's crouched on the carpet, arms wrapped around himself. 

Liam turns to Danny slowly, who's staring down at the Sub with this nauseating mixture of fond and disgust that almost makes Liam throw up. "What the _fuck_ , Riach?" He snaps finally. 

Danny looks up, grin crooked. "Finally found myself a Sub," he explains. Liam almost hits him. "Pretty, right? He can be a bit of a pain in the ass, but we're working on that, aren't we?" His next question is directed at his Sub, who nods curtly as Danny taps the side of his head with a foot. Danny grins again. "'Need to teach him a lesson every now and again, but he can be good for the most part." 

"What's his name?"

"What's his —" Danny starts to repeat, before he snorts, smirk dropping. "What does it matter?" 

"What's his name?" Liam repeats. 

"It's Zayn." Danny wrinkles his nose, as though he's uncomfortable with the idea of Liam thinking of Zayn as an actual person. Good. That's what he had been going for. 

"That's a lovely name," Liam replies, if only to make Danny that much more uncomfortable. Zayn seems to hear him, though, and slowly raises his head, and the first thing Liam notices is that he has the biggest eyes he's ever seen. The second are the cigarette burns on his lips. 

Liam turns to Danny again with a nearly blank expression. "What the fuck did you do to his mouth?" 

Danny smiles again, like he thinks Liam's pleased with the scars. "He's a smoker," he says, nodding back down at Zayn, who drops his head. His ears are pink, and Liam realizes, with a pang of guilt, that Zayn probably thinks Liam likes the scars, too. He wants to fucking scream. "Nothing was getting him to quit, so I thought I'd, y'know, teach him a lesson. He has them on his thighs, too." 

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Liam asks, and Danny grins. 

"No. I'll show you, if you like." When Liam only blinks, Danny laughs, kicking Zayn again without even a hint of remorse. "Pull your pants down," he instructs. 

"You don't have to do that," Liam instructs quickly, before Zayn do something stupid, like actually oblige. "And stand up, please."

"Don't stand up," Danny snorts. He turns to Liam with a scowl. "What the fuck?" 

"What the fuck," Liam repeats, and he raises his eyebrows. "Are you fucking serious? You're asking _me_ what the fuck?" 

"Yes, what the fuck?" Danny replies, jaw slack. He looks as though he's in disbelief. Like he can't believe Liam's uncomfortable with the idea of Danny sitting at home burning Zayn with cigarettes. "What is the matter with you?" 

"What —" he starts to repeat, but he's suddenly so angry he can't even bring himself to finish. He runs his hands down his face, lip between his teeth. "I'd like for you to get the fuck out of my flat, mate."

Danny laughs, short and harsh. "Are you — you're serious? Because of the burns? Why do you even care?" 

Liam doesn't even have a good reason. He shouldn't care. Not only is Zayn not his Sub, but as a Dom, his lack of care should be coursing through his veins. Genetically, he should be laughing; maybe high-fiving Danny as he watches him press another burn into the palm of Zayn's hand. But even the thought of sitting back disgusts him. Zayn's sad, and beautiful, and it's unfair, it's so unfair, and Liam cares way too much. "Just get out," he repeats. "Or I'll kill you." 

Danny glances up at him for a few moments, before he nods, turning on his heel and matching from the flat as though he has a shred of dignity left. He starts to call back for Zayn, but before he can, Liam slams the door shut, and Zayn's still kneeling on his front carpet as he locks it with a flourish. 

"Well," he breathes finally. "That was tedious." 

When Zayn doesn't respond, Liam glances down, to see him still bowed and cowering. He twists his mouth to one side, before dropping down next to him, trying to school his expression into one less blank and hard. He tries for welcoming, but he probably fails. "Hi." 

"H — hi," Zayn mumbles, head down, and Liam smiles slightly. 

"So I've kidnapped you." 

Zayn only nods his head slightly, and Liam nods. "When's the last time you got some sleep?"

"Couple days ago," he whispers, and Liam doesn't know why he's surprised.

"Bedtime, then," Liam nods. He rises to his feet, and holds a hand out to Zayn, who almost doesn't seem to know what to do with it. Upon Liam's urging, he takes it and rises to his feet, before obediently following Liam into his guest room. "We can start doing kidnap things tomorrow," he says, and Zayn smiles. Actually smiles. Liam wants to high five himself. 

After a few moments, with Zayn comfortably changed and settled, Liam carefully shuts the door as he pads from his room. He doesn't know what he had expected from Danny's visit, but it certainly wasn't this, and and he frowns to himself at the sudden and unwelcome realization that he may have kidnapped his asshole college roommates abused hybrid. 

"Fuck."


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> two things!!! 
> 
> 1\. sorry for the weird emphasis //, but im posting this from my phone and its way too hard to italicize omg. 
> 
> and 2. sorry this took so long to get up!!! im lazy and i procrastinate more than is probably healthy. ill try to get the next chapter up much sooner than this one though i promise!!

Niall's standing in the doorway of Zayn's room, with comically wide eyes, and nails pressed so tightly against the wood of the doorframe Liam's sure there are gonna be crescent shaped indents in the wood. He's not dealing well with the appearance of the stranger in Liam's house, much less in the room he's claimed as his own, and he's been standing in silence for almost ten minutes, bitterly watching the calm rise and fall of Zayn's chest like he's willing it to stop. He reminds Liam of a jealous older sibling. 

"Are you aware there's somebody in my bed?" He finally asks. 

Liam rolls his eyes. "No," he says sarcastically. "Goldilocks just broke in so he could sleep in your bed. "

"Weirder shit has happened in your flat," he replies, and while he's not wrong, Liam still snorts. 

"I invited him, mate." 

"To stay in /my/ room?" 

"It's the guest room," Liam reminds him. "For guests. You don't live here." 

Normally he does more to spare Niall's feelings, what with all the other terrible things he has to hear day to day, but it's four in the morning and Liam's fingers twitch with the urge to punch him in the face. He only resists because Liam knows he still wouldn't stop talking. 

"But I'm a guest," he protests, adamant and apparently oblivious to the fact that Liam's about to fall asleep on the floor. 

Liam snorts. "Not tonight. Room's booked. Can I go back to bed now?"

"Where am I supposed to sleep?" 

"Your flat?"

"But," he says, and pouts. 

Liam shakes his head. "You can sleep on the couch if you wanna, but the room's taken. I'm not kicking him out. Goodnight." 

And he turns away from Niall, with the full intent of locking himself back in his room until noon the next day, when he hears the front door fly open and Louis' voice call, "Niall?" 

Liam turns right back around to narrow his eyes at Niall. "Why?" Is all he says. 

Niall shrugs. "I /may/ have let the Sub thing slip when Louis asked why I needed to stay with him n' Haz and not you," he explains, and waves a hand as though it's a casual thing that people are starting to pile into Liam's flat at four in the morning. Liam wants to hit his head on the doorframe. "I made him pinky promises not to come but I guess the sentiment was lost over the phone."

"Apparently," Liam agrees bitterly, as Louis bounds over. 

He greets them loudly, and with sloppy kisses to the cheeks, looking impractically alive and pretty considering the time of day. (Harry, on the other hand, looks as dead as Liam feels.) He doesn't even say anything, only nudges Niall out of the way, and resumes his spot in the doorway with an overly critical frown. He stares at Zayn for a few moments, before he glances at Liam over his shoulder, opening and closing his mouth a few times before finally saying, "He's kinda skinny."

Liam glances at Zayn again, over Louis' shoulder, as the Sub kicks off his blankets and hugs his knees to his chest. Most of his scars are hidden, which is a good thing, Liam supposes, but bundled up in Liam's clothes as he is, he looks so much more frail than before. 

"Yeah," he agrees softly, as Harry walks up behind Louis, glancing at Zayn over the top of his head.

"He's pretty," he says quietly. 

Liam nods. "Yeah."

"What's his name?" 

"Zayn." 

"That's pretty," Harry murmurs, and Liam nods again.

"Yeah."

"Where'd you, uh, meet him?" He asks, and Liam bites his tongue, glancing at Zayn again as he tries to think of a way to say /kidnapping/ without outright saying /kidnapping/.

"He was Danny's," he says finally. "And Danny was, like, awful to him. So I kept him?"

"You kidnapped him?" Harry deadpans. 

"/No/," Liam says, but he doesn't have much of an argument to back himself up. He had kind of kidnapped Zayn. He wets his lips. "I —" 

The faint sound of the floorboards creaking is what interrupts Liam, and he turns to look down at Zayn, who's now standing next to Louis, who is staring at Zayn with wide, almost blank eyes. It's probably the most bizarre moment of Liam's life. 

"He," Zayn starts to says, before he takes a small step back, shrinking away from Louis' stare. Liam clears his throat, and Louis makes a sort of an apologetic noise, obediently lowering his eyes as Zayn breathes out a sigh. "He didn't kidnap me," he says softly, eyes on his feet. "He probably saved my life."

"You're a hero," Niall says in mock awe. 

Liam punches him in the shoulder, snorting. "Fuck off," he says, about to tell Niall that /damn fucking right he's a hero/, when Louis interrupts him with a startled sort of sound and quickly glances up from his phone. 

"You're wanted," he adds, and, brow quirked, Liam looks over at him. 

"What?" He asks, and Louis holds his phone out, flashing him a picture it looks like someone had taken of their TV. Danny's onscreen, and Liam doesn't even need to see the program to guess what's going on. 

"He didn't." 

Louis shrugs. "Eleanor sent this to me," he says. "Says to tell you he's talking about you. He says he's super worried about his Sub in the hands of a 'ne'er do well' anti—equality asshole like you." 

"Did he phone the police?" Harry asks. 

"They're on their way now."

Liam's heart just about sinks at that, and the prospect of prison, when Zayn's small voice cracks, "I don't wanna go back to him," and his heart crumbles all together. 

He runs a hand over his hair. "You can't," he agrees. "I fucked this up. Danny's gonna kill him 'cause of this and it's gonna be my fault."

"I don't wanna die," Zayn whispers. 

"I know," Liam agrees. 

"This is like a bad movie," Niall adds.

"We can try n' sneak away before they get here," Harry suggests slowly, like he's thinking through his heroic plan in the middle of a low budget buddy cop movie. "Keeping rolling with the bad movie plot. My car's here and nobody knows me."

"Do you realize how illegal that is?" Liam asks, but Harry only shrugs. 

"You're already wanted for kidnapping, Liam. You know what happens to kidnappers in prison?" He pauses, barely giving Liam the opportunity to blink before he says, "They get shanked by other inmates."

"Yeah. Great."

"And you know what will happen to Zayn if you're in prison?"

"Yes." 

"He'll —" 

Zayn whimpers, and Liam claps a hand over Harry's mouth to keep him from saying anything else that will emotionally scar the poor bloke. (Assuming there's room left in his psyche that's still untouched, of course.) "I /know/," Liam grits. 

"I don't want him to hurt me anymore," Zayn breathes, so sweet and innocent that what remains of Liam's heart starts to disintegrate. 

"I know," he says softly. 

It's silent for a moment, Liam's hand over Harry's mouth, Zayn's lip between his teeth. 

It's Niall who finally speaks again, heaving a sigh. "Mate, I think Harry's right."

Liam turns to frown at him. 

He only shrugs. "Think about it. You run away, you risk prison. You /don't/ run away, you're definitely going to prison. And the both of you will die." 

"I don't wanna die," Zayn whispers. 

Liam sighs. "I know."

"So run," Niall advises. "Get far enough down the hall, you can pretend you just left a different flat once the police get here. They'll leave you on your way, and you'll be long gone before anybody realizes you're who they're looking for."

"I'll come with you," Louis chirps finally. He'd be silent up until then, but when Liam glances over at him, he looks determined, like he's been steeling himself for the moment he'd have square his shoulders and sprint for Liam's life. "Who am I to turn down a little excitement, eh?" He grins. 

"If Louis goes, I'll go," Harry says. (And Liam smiles, not for the first time, at how absolutely whipped his Sub has him.) "I don't trust either of you not to hurt my baby, either." 

"Awe," Louis smiles. 

"I was talking about my car." Louis punches him in the shoulder, and Harry laughs. "Kidding, kidding."

"This is insane, you realize?" Liam scoffs, but as he glances over at the pair of them, he can't keep himself from grinning. It's completely insane, that much is undeniable, but it's the adrenaline raising, heart pumping, fucking addicting kind of insane that makes Liam want to punch a wall and a random stranger and maybe run away with a kidnapping victim. "We're gonna been killed." 

"So lets go down like fucking Bonnie and Clyde," Louis cheers, raising his fist like he's leading a revolution. "Niall, you in?"

"Fuck yes I'm in," Niall snorts, moving to stand next to Louis again with a proud nod. "Always wanted to be a fugitive." 

"What'll we do if we do get away, though?" Liam asks. "Just run for the rest of our lives?"

"Run until we find someone willing to help the cause," Louis says, and pumps his fist. "Viva la Revolution!"

"Viva la Revolution!" Niall and Harry chorus, and even Zayn cracks a smile. 

"Come on, Liam!" Louis says, and he's shouting now, obviously way too amped at the idea of leading a police chase. "Are you in or are you in?" 

There's a knock before Liam can answer. 

"Police! Open up!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> follow me on tumblr @malikvodka.tumblr.com


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO APPARENTLY I HAVENT UPDATED THIS SINCE BEFORE I CHANGED MY TUMBLR URL
> 
> WHICH WAS FOREVER AGO
> 
> IM TRASH AND I AM SO SORRY
> 
> NEXT TIME I PROMISE I WONT TAKE SO LONG IM SORRY

Nobody moves for a long moment. 

It's silent, and still, for what feels like hours, save for Zayn's slightly panicked breathing and the buzz of the cops just beyond the door. Louis' arm is still raised in a motion of mock defiance, and Niall's mouth is still open with a silent shout of, "Viva la Revolution!", and the ghost of a smile is still playing on Liam's lips. Nobody knows how to react, so, the most unified they've ever been, they freeze, for what has to be the longest minute of Liam's life. 

Zayn's the first to finally move. 

And he moves to answer the fucking door. 

Niall thaws next, reaching out immediately to grab Zayn's arm. "What the fuck? Where are you going?" 

"To answer the door," Zayn says, and he says it so much like it's the most obvious thing in the world it's nearly endearing. 

Niall, though, only snorts. He looks frustrated, and almost prepared to throw Zayn out the far window, and it's Liam that next comes to his senses, in favour of stepping between them. "What the fuck are we gonna do?" He hisses through his teeth, as the police forcefully hammer at his front door again. He figures they maybe have another minute, given the time of day, before one of the cops kicks his door down and takes him and Zayn by force. He doesn't know much about police work, but he's watched enough Great Crimes and Trials that he knows that if the police think somebody on the premises is in danger, they don't need a warrant to storm your flat. And he's about ninety six percent positive Danny must have told them somebody on the premises is in danger. "We can't fucking let them take Zayn."

Louis worries his lower lip between his teeth, glancing back at the door anxiously. "We could try to hide him?" He suggests, in a tone that Liam knows means he has no hope that that plan would actually be successful. "Have him sit out on the fire escape or something until - " 

"Until Liam's been arrested," Niall reminds him drily. "And taken under questioning and unless we turn Zayn in, he'll probably be tried for murder." 

Louis frowns. "We could have them both sit out on the fire escape?"

Harry walks over to the window, and pulls the curtains back a crack to stare down at the street. "Street's flooded with cops," he says finally. "They'd notice them eventually." 

Louis' shoulders fall. He looks defeated, and about ready to cry, and Liam almost joins him. He doesn't want to go to prison, or to be the reason his old roommate murders Zayn, and he really doesn't want to be on the recieving end of the hopeless look Zayn will no doubt be giving him as he's toted away by the cops who think they're doing the right thing. He doesn't think there's anything more that they can do, though, and he almost starts to take a step towards the door, before he glances back at the fire escape and is hit, like a truck, with the most reckless idea he's ever had. 

"I know what we can do," he blurts. 

All eyes in the room turn towards him, and he swallows, before holding a hand out to Harry. "Give me your keys," he says. Harry frowns, but willingly hands over the keys to his car, and Liam slips the ring around his finger before he nods to the window. "We're going out through the window."

Niall raises his eyebrows. "No, you aren't, we literally just went over this." 

Liam shakes his head. "The people downstairs are an older couple. They're always asleep at this time." 

"So?" 

"So we're gonna pray their window is open." 

Niall still doesn't look like he gets it, but after a moment, Louis' face lights up. 

"They're going to go through their flat, Niall!" He says. "Nobody's going to be guarding an innocent couple's front door! They're going to leave through their flat and get downstairs undetected and be gone before anybody notices anything!" 

Liam nods. "I want you guys to stay here. Open the door, tell the police we're a couple floors up, and try to meet us downstairs. If you're not there in five minutes, we're leaving without you." 

Harry nods solemnly. "Good luck, mate." 

Liam nods again, before he takes Zayn's hand, leading him towards the window as Harry starts towards the door. 

"What are we doing?" He asks, but Liam only shakes his head, as he peels open the window and quietly helps Zayn onto the fire escape. The sun is just starting to rise, and he knows they only have a few moments before their shadows catch somebody's attention and they're both seized. 

"Just come on," he says. 

He climbs out next to him, and the pair of them rush down the rickety stairs as quickly as they can manage. They stop next to the window, and for a long moment, when Liam can't pull it open, he thinks it's been locked. But then it unsticks, and slides open, and he helps Zayn inside before stumbling in after him. 

It's almost eerily silent. Outside, there had been cops shouting from below them and sirens and the wind through the stairs, while inside, all Liam can hear is Zayn's breathing. He shakes his head again.

He takes Zayn's hand, careful to keep his footsteps silent as he leads him slowly through the room to the front door. Luckily, the flat's layout is almost exactly like Liam's own, and it doesn't take him long to succesfully get Zayn out of the flat and into the hall. He shuts the door behind them both, before he takes Zayn's hand again, and rushes, as quickly as the two of them can manage, down the stairs and into the parking garage. It's completely void of cops, and Liam finally heaves a sigh of relief as he leads Zayn over to Harry's car and helps him inside. 

It's a large vehicle, black and with blacked out windows, and in the dim lighting of the underground garage Liam knows they're virtually invisible. He sighs again, soft and relieved, and finally glances back over at Zayn as he settles back against the drivers seat and pulls the car's door shut behind himself. 

His eyes are closed, hair plastered against his forehead, chest heaving as he tries to catch his breath. Liam feels a pang of guilt, for making him just sprint through an entire building without actually knowing why, but he knows, if he hadn't, Zayn would probably be wrapped in a shock blanket and being lead back into Danny's arms. The thought makes him sick. 

"I'm sorry," he says finally, and Zayn turns his head towards him, blinking his eyes open slowly. He looks scared. 

"What's gonna happen to me?" 

Liam wants to wince, but instead, shakes his head, flashing Zayn a smile he hopes looks more sure and comforting than he actually feels. "Nothing will happen to you," he says softly. "I'll make sure of it." 

Zayn watches him for a moment, before he nods, lips quirked slightly at the corners. He still looks small and hesitant, like any sudden movements might scare him away, but there's this assuredness behind his smile, like he actually trusts Liam to help him, that brightens up his entire demeanor and fills Liam with warmth. He nods again, flashing Zayn another smile, much more certain than the last. He only turns away from him, however reluctantly, at the sound of shrill shouts of his name, and quickly unlocks the doors and Harry and Louis and Niall all pile haphazardly into the back of the car. 

"We told them you lived on the top floor," Louis greets, as Liam looks back to them. "They didn't believe us and searched the flat. Couldn't find you, and went to look upstairs. Poor bloke is gonna get quite a fright." 

"He deserves it," Niall snorts. "Kidnapping an innocent Sub like that?" 

Harry nods seriously. "Can't believe you lived in the same building as that monster." 

Liam rolls his eyes, and starts the car, not willing to waste anymore time. He pulls from the parking spot, and up from the garage, onto the street, before pulling onto the road before anybody has a chance to notice or stop them. He knows he has to hurry, and that once the police discover that Liam doesn't live on the top floor, that they're going to block off the roads in front of the building and prevent anybody from coming in or going out. He swallows again, glancing at the bulding in the rearview mirror as he switches lanes and speeds up. It's maybe five in the morning, and traffic's just starting to pick up, as people start to drive to work or home from their long night shifts. Liam moves to the center of it all, keeping his speed under control and inconspicuous. 

"So where are we going?" He asks finally. 

Niall makes a low, noncomittal noise, and shrugs again as Liam glances at him in the rearview mirror. "We kind of figured you had an idea." 

"I hadn't," Liam says. 

Harry rolls his eyes. "Just drive. We'll figure out where we're going later, when we're farther away."

Liam nods. It's probably a reckless plan, but they just had, he recalls, broken away from a crowd of police officers and were now, officially, on the run. Not having an exact destination in mind was probably the least of their worries. 

.

Around eight, they pull off to the side of the freeway, just long enough for Liam to climb into the back and Harry to take over as driver. They were going to sleep and drive in shifts, they had decided, save for Zayn, who evidently didn't know how to drive and looked tired and timid enough that they probably would have let him be, even if he had. 

Liam climbs over the seat between Louis and Niall, into the seat in the very back, stretching his legs out along the length of it as Harry pulls onto the freeway again. He leans his head against the window, and closes his eyes, and he drops off to sleep almost instantly, to the sound of the radio being switched on. 

It's several hours later that he finally blinks his eyes open again, to Harry's rather desperate voice and the soft sound of Zayn's crying. He doesn't realize who it is at first, nor does he recognize the sound, and it isn't until he's sat up and stretched that he realizes it's Zayn, with his head against the window beside him and his eyes screwed shut as he cries. It's a heartbreaking sound, low and quiet and kind of desperate, and it kind of makes Liam want to keel over and throw up. He yawns, and stretches his arms in front of him again, turning from Zayn, to Harry, almost tentatively. "What's going on?" He asks softly. 

Harry glances at him in the rearview mirror. It's almost two in the afternoon now, and Louis and Niall are asleep between them. "I don't know," he murmurs, shrugging helplessly. "I think he's having a nightmare, but I don't - am I supposed to wake him up?" 

"I don't know," Liam admits. He remembers hearing about not waking people up during nightmares, because they'll get caught in between subconsciousness and reality or something, but he can't remember if that was a real thing or a mediocre plot from some shitty horror movie. 

"I don't like the sound," Harry says after a moment. "Makes me sad." 

Liam nods slowly. "Me too," he murmurs. He pauses for a moment, listening to him cry, before he says, "Maybe wake him up." 

Harry hesitates, before he finally nods, and reaches over to slowly shake Zayn's leg. Zayn jolts almost immediately, and sits bolt upright, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand as he breathes, "Liam?" 

He sounds frightened, and kind of heartbroken, but Liam can't help the wave of pride that washes over him at the fact that he's the first thing Zayn thinks when he wakes up. He wonders if that makes him selfish. It probably does. 

He moves to sit up straight, before he leans over the middle seat again, looking back towards Zayn. "I'm right here, love," he says, and Zayn makes a sort of a gasping noise, before he launches himself over the seat and into Liam's arms. Liam helps him over the seat, and into his lap, wrapping his arms around him gently. "What happened?" He murmurs. 

"Bad dream," he mumbles, but Liam doesn't push it. He only nods, and rubs Zayn's back, holding him until he falls back to sleep in his arms, head against Liam's chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ALSO PLEASE FOLLOW ME ON [TUMBLR](http://classiczain.tumblr.com) AND IF YOU WANT YOU CAN SEND ME PROMPTS THERE THAT I WILL TAKE TEN THOUSAND YEARS TO POST BECAUSE IM GARBAGE


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